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President Obama is increasing the size of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument by over 316%, to encompass an area more than twice the size of Texas:
On Friday, President Obama will expand the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii, creating the world's largest marine protected area. Building on the United States' global leadership in marine conservation, today's designation will more than quadruple the size of the existing marine monument, permanently protecting pristine coral reefs, deep sea marine habitats, and important ecological resources in the waters of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
Following this historic conservation action, the President will travel to Hawaii next week. On Wednesday evening, he will address leaders from the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders and the IUCN World Conservation Congress, which is being hosted in the United States for the first time. On Thursday, he will travel to Midway Atoll, located within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, to mark the significance of this monument designation and highlight first-hand how the threat of climate change makes protecting our public lands and waters more important than ever.
The monument was originally created in 2006 by President George W. Bush and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. Since that time, new scientific exploration and research has revealed new species and deep sea habitats as well as important ecological connections between the existing monument and the adjacent waters. Today's designation will expand the existing Marine National Monument by 442,781 square miles, bringing the total protected area of the expanded monument to 582,578 square miles.
The move follows a similar expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in 2014.
DOI press release, and more resources at NOAA.
Reported at NPR, National Geographic, NBC, and WBUR.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:40PM
...picked out where his retirement compound would be located, coincidentally right next to the expanded marine protected area.
(mere speculation)
(Score: 1, Troll) by frojack on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:05PM
And no voters in the designated area to reject the designation, or get pissed off.
Now, wait a few years, bring on the access restrictions, entrance fees, federal enforcement personnel, warrant-less searches, followed by outright closure, and total neglect.
We've seen this movie before.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by tisI on Saturday August 27 2016, @05:58PM
And why should anyone care?
I bet right now dubya is on his crawford ranch living like a king, instead of in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity where he belongs.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/bush-adminstration-convicted-of-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity/5336860 [globalresearch.ca]
"Suppose you were an idiot...and suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself."
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:10PM
a special war crimes tribunal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Yes there's a bastion of world authority.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Sunday August 28 2016, @04:14AM
Augusto Pinochet was arrested in the UK on a warrant from a Spanish court.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Pinochet's_arrest_and_trial#Arrest_in_London [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:58PM
why should i care ? ? ?
well, i believe we should care that BOTH (and a number back) are war kriminals deserving of jail cells, not retirement compounds, libraries, lionization, and, -you know- 'speaking fees', 'foundations', and such...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @11:45PM
> I bet right now dubya is on his crawford ranch living like a king,
Nope. The ranch was a prop for his "ah, shucks" texan image. He didn't sell it, but he only drops in for holidays, if that.
He bought a house in a "whites-only" (not a joke) Dallas neighborhood months before Obama even took the oath of office.
http://www.alternet.org/story/112437/bush_ditches_his_ranch_for_ritzier_digs_in_dallas [alternet.org]